My favourite McDonalds ice cream sundae flavour was always caramel. Caramel sauce is delicious! I’ve had a recipe for it in my book for years.
I recently saw an idea for hollowing out apples and filling them with ice cream in a Martha Stewart magazine article. They were served at a fairly typically Martha Stewart pumpkin carving party for children. Looked like a house in the Hamptons to me! I’ve never seen such colour co-ordination among children and leaves.
The apple sundaes looked so pretty and I thought this would be a delicious new use for caramel sauce. To make the sauce a bit thinner, a bit glossier and a bit more interesting, I added some brandy. Topped with chopped nuts …. amazing. And you can eat the bowl.
I think it looks like quite an impressive Sunday night pudding, but actually there’s almost nothing to it. You just make up the sauce and assemble the dessert. And the sauce can be refrigerated (and I’m 99% sure it can be frozen, tests are currently underway) so you can even do that in advance.
Apple Ice Creams with Brandy Caramel
The sauce would probably serve at least 8. If you don’t need that much, (try to) refrigerate or freeze the rest
25g butter
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ cup golden syrup
¼ cup cold water
pinch salt
1x tin (400g) sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla essence/extract
2 Tbsp brandy
apples (use nice round red ones that ‘stand up’ nicely)
ice cream
chopped nuts
Place the butter in a saucepan and melt it gently. Add the brown sugar, golden syrup, water and salt. Heat gently at first and stir constantly as the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, still stirring, until the mixture really bubbles like mad. Reduce the heat, and add the condensed milk, vanilla and brandy. Stir until it’s nicely combined and a good caramel colour, then take it off the heat.
Cut the top bit off the apple, and scoop out all the inside flesh. I used a melon baller which was handy, I’m sure a teaspoon would do the trick. If you want to do this more than 5 minutes before serving, squeeze lemon juice over the apple to stop it browning. Fill the apple with a scoop or two of ice cream, and drizzle with the warm caramel (if the caramel has thickened while you got the apples ready, just gently heat it again, or add one more dash of brandy). Top with chopped nuts and serve.
Well this is one way to get one of your 5 fruit & veg a day that I love….looks delicious
Instead of brandy you could use Butterscotch Schnapps Liqueur – very nice!!
Hello. That is such a pretty dessert. I keep seeing “golden syrup”, but I am clueless as to what it is.
brenda from arkansas
Golden syrup is an English thing! Similar to honey, but richer and deeper in flavor…check out your nearest “big-name” grocery store’s International aisle.
“Golden syrup” is a product you don’t really see often in the US. It’s a thick sugar syrup. You could use corn syrup or honey as a replacement.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_syrup
THAT looks divine! what a “fancy” looking dessert to impress the guests – i love it!
Yum, love the phrase “you can eat the bowl”!
Caramel was totally my fav McDonald’s sundae too. I love this idea, want to try it soon – bet the sauce is wonderful with that condensed milk in it.
Mairi – Yes, I certainly had my 5+ a day when planning this one!
Oriel – nice idea, butterscotch would be delicious
Brenda – golden syrup is a kind of thick sugar syrup, kind of like treacle I guess but much lighter. You could probably use maple syrup in this recipe. Or I don’t know much about corn syrup but maybe that plus some brown sugar would work.
Kymber/Mel/HungryandFrozen – definitely recommend giving it a go!
These just look divine with all that sauce dripping off and over the apples.Who said caramel sauce is fattening? They are WRONG!!!!
Beautiful idea.
Super cute inside the apples
!!!
Ciao
A.
That looks awesome!!!
I love this!
I just love this! I saw it on Pinterest and I am posting it on my blog tomorrow. I am linking and crediting back to you. If this is a problem in any way, please let me know.
I’m so happy to have discovered your blog!
Jenifer
Hi everyone, thanks for your lovely comments! Please feel free to re-post with a link and credit back here. thanks!
This looks absolutely beautiful. Being British I am no stranger to golden syrup – gorgeous stuff. How about using the French apple brandy -calvados instead of ordinary brandy?
Hi Sue, I haven’t tried that French brandy … but based on your description of it, I’m sure it would be delicious!
What about heating the apples to soften them up a little? That way it would be more like an apple pie, without the crust! I want to make this for my son and “guy” friend that is coming over tomorrow!!
Ooh, heating them would be yummy too! Be ready to eat them quick before the ice cream melts
You could sprinkle the tops with a wee bit of brown sugar and grill or bake them in the oven!
Okay, I just made it heating the apples…it was good but of course the ice cream melted really fast, which was fine because it mixed really well with the caramel sauce!
I didn’t use any brandy, but might try it next time.
I used light brown sugar, I suggest using dark brown sugar…it’ll probably give it a better caramel color!
I baked the apple 200 Celsius first, and then started making everything else and it was just right…needed a knife to cut but that’s okay with me!
Great recipe!!
What could I use instead of Brandy and how much is 25g of butter?
Thanks,
Darcy
Jaredd1@msn.com
Hi, you don’t actually need the brandy for the recipe to work, you could just leave it out (the caramel might be a bit thicker and might set more quickly). If you want to use another spirit, you could maybe try rum? Or whiskey caramel has a nice ring to it. If you wanted to use something non-alcoholic, try a teaspoon or so of vanilla essence or extract. We can buy brandy essence here which gives a nice flavour too, without the alcohol. Let me know how you get on! As for the butter, 25g is about 2 Tablespoons.
Yeah this doesn’t make any sense without baking the apples first. Way too difficult to eat. When was the last time you tried to cut an apple with a spoon?
Trust me, you just cut the top off with a knife, and then you can scoop out the apple flesh. It scoops like watermelon. Easy Peasy. Then you eat the ice cream, and then just bite into the apple bowl. No spoon required
Baked would be nice too! It would make it more autumnal, definitely. You might have to eat the ice cream pretty quick though (would not be a problem for me).
Love it. Couldn’t stop drooling. Gonna try this one day. seeing that we’re approaching the year’s end, there’s no better time than now to try it out!
And you mentioned Brandy, too?!? U had me sold then. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing! Such a cute idea. Your post inspired a spin-off I made using salted caramel ice cream: http://beezersbites.wordpress.com/2011/11/06/salted-caramel-apple-sundae-with-brandy-white-chocolate-sauce/
I’ll have to try your caramel-brandy sauce next time.
this look so delicious! found on pinterest?! yum! can’t wait to try it!
I’m glad you like it! Thanks for stopping by
What a cool idea, definitely going to try…..